During happier times, UCLA senior Alterraun Verner was asked about his progress playing cornerback.

That’s happier times as in the Bruins’ 3-0 run at the start of the season as opposed to 0-5 since then.

As a precocious 17-year-old freshman from Carson, Verner was both flashy and solid at Mayfair High, returning two interceptions for touchdowns while finishing fourth on the team in tackles.

As productive as he was, did he have an idea how much he did not know about playing his position?

“No,” he said candidly. “I just went out and played. I just waited for things to happen to me.”

Think about the mass of information he has accumulated in nearly four years and what it would be like to have to absorb it all as a freshman.

“It would be mind-boggling,” he said. “I’m glad it built up slowly. I kept my sanity and always kept progressing as a player.”

If he has been questioning his sanity recently, it is understandable.

His progress on the field – measured by his listing as a quarterfinalist for the Lott Award, presented annually to college football’s defensive impact player of the year – has not been matched by the UCLA football program. The Bruins were 7-6, 6-7 and 4-8 during his first three years.

Then came the apparent breakthrough start this season.

“It’s so much fun,” Verner said at the time. “I’m excited for the challenge.”

Then came the 0-5 crash in Pacific-10 Conference games. As unfulfilling as his first three years as a Bruin were, he never suffered through an 0-5 stretch. An 0-5 stumble has not happened at UCLA since 2003. It has not been bottomed since 1994 when the Bruins lost six in a row.

Imagine how hard it must be to find the words to describe your feelings when your football world is falling apart.

Rather than talk, he probably would have to go into a room by himself, slam the door shut and let out a primeval scream to adequately express his feelings.

“If somebody had told me at the beginning of the season we were going to have a five-game losing streak, I would not have believed it,” he said. “In fact, I did not believe we would have five losses in the whole year.”

What happened? How did it come to this for a team that appeared improved with a solid defense as its foundation?

“A lot of games this year, we will be on the brink of just exploding, just finding our rhythm, then it’s either too late or we’re inconsistent within the game,” he said.

Understandably, his frustration level is off the chart.

Unfortunately, he was painting the word picture of a losing team.

The battle now is to avoid wallowing in frustration. Enter the athlete/warrior mentality.

“We still have four games left and we potentially can win every one of these last games,” Verner said.

Four wins and UCLA would have a respectable if not over-the-top 7-5 record. The games, starting Saturday afternoon in the Rose Bowl, are against Washington, Washington State, Arizona State and USC.

While some (many?) will not encourage this dream, Verner soldiers on.

“There’s still something that we’re fighting for,” he said.

They’re fighting for respect.

“So that’s why we’re going to keep on going,” he said.

This attitude is why Verner is a Lott Award candidate. That and, of course, the skills he brings to playing the most exposed position on the football field.

“He’s very steady, smooth, under control, changes direction and has anticipation,” said Bob Field. “Those are things you look for in a cornerback.”

Field is an expert on the subject. The UCLA associate athletic director is a former Bruin defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

There’s more.

“He also is an exceptional individual,” Field said. “He’s got balance in his life academically and socially.”

Alterraun Verner is up to challenges on and off the football field.

Clearing out the notebook …

Make up your mind: It’s funny how people cavalierly say they’d rather see their team thumped than lose a cliff-hanger because it’s easier to deal with when there is no doubt about who was the better team. Then USC takes a major thumping at Oregon and you would think the world as we know it, or at least how the Trojans know it, has come to an end.

La Russa refuses to acknowledge McGwire made himself a poster boy for steroid use when he refused to answer questions during a House of Representatives committee hearing on the subject.

Small world dept.: Hal Chauncey, former Hawthorne High football coach, and Bob Troppman, Pete Carroll’s football coach at Redwood High, served in the Marines together in World War II.

Book review: Put Steve Bisheff’s “Always Compete” (St. Martin’s Press) on your early Christmas list if you know someone who wants to know how USC football coach Pete Carroll ticks.

Bottom line: Lots of crocodile tears are being shed for fans of the Dodgers as McCourt v McCourt unfolds. The harsh reality is owners are businessmen/women first, last and always. They have one priority – their personal interests. Their proclamations about fans are lip service.